The Return of the Pied Piper

Parents always fought the rodents

Called boredom in their homes

Children climbing walls and furniture

Never wanting to be alone

Mothers tried with stories

Fathers tried with games

But keeping watch forever

Left everybody drained

So the Piper came in many forms

Through every passing age

Sometimes through a radio

Or actors on a stage

Then a glowing box in living rooms

Sang songs across the air

And every year the children

Spent a little longer there

The Piper always promises

“Just let the children stay”

And parents never notice

Till the laughter fades away

Oh the Piper is back

To take our children away

His song keeps getting stronger

Every single day

If we don't watch closely

They'll follow where he plays

And we won't even notice

Till they've already gone away

Now the Piper's stronger than ever

Hidden in their hands

Little magic plastic boxes

Showing worlds they understand

Parents hand them to their children

For silence and relief

Never seeing all the shadows

Hiding underneath

The Piper plays a flute called Tick Tock

Fourteen seconds long

Just enough to steal attention

Just enough to pull them on

Dance little children, dance in line

Follow every trend

The Piper knows exactly how

To make the music never end

The Piper always promises

“Just let the children stay”

And parents never notice

Till the laughter fades away

Oh the Piper is back

To take our children away

His tune keeps getting louder

Every single day

If we don't stay awake now

They'll drift beneath the waves

And we won't know it happened

Till they've already gone away

Most dances seem harmless

And most songs probably are

But sometimes dangerous whispers

Hide beneath the stars

Challenges start as laughter

Then slowly turn to dares

Till the Piper's song grows louder

Than the voices saying “careful there”

The tune gets in their minds

And flicks the safety switches off

Turning fear into applause

Till common sense is lost

And somewhere down a hallway

A bedroom door swings wide

As another child goes chasing

The Piper through the night

The Piper always promises

“Just let the children stay”

And parents never notice

Till the laughter fades away

Oh the Piper is back

And his flute is made of screens

He pipes his song through algorithms

And glowing neon dreams

If we don't guide our children

Someone else will lead the way

And we won't know we've lost them

Till the house grows far too quiet one day

The Piper never looked like evil

That's why he slips right in

He only plays the songs we like

Until the following begins

So hold your children close tonight

Before the music sways

Because the Pied Piper is calling

And his tune grows stronger every day